Cell construction



Jan. 27, 1953 J. E. cRE fCH I 2,626,635

cw. eonsmqcwiori Filed Feb. 20, 1948 4 Sh qs-Sheet J.

/f m a A? /3 IN V EN TOR.

Jsse Z: Ureecil Jan. 27, 1953 J. E. CREECH CELL C'ONSTRUCTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb; 20', 1948 IN V EN TOR. fisse Z: Greeak flTIOIWVEK lllllll Jan. 27, 1953 J. E. CREECH 2,626,686

, csu. cous'mucnou Filed Feb. 20, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 III/I Patented Jan. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CELL CONSTRUCTION Jesse E. Creech, Jacksonville, Fla.

Application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,705 (01. 189-5) Claims.

This invention relates to a cell construction, and more particularly to a cell for the confinement of violent prisoners and mental patients, the salient feature of the invention being to provide a cell construction whereby persons of the type intended to be confined therein cannot produce self-inflicted injuries.

The main objective of the invention is to provide an entire inner wall construction backed up by spaced rubber or other resilient blocks, preferably so-called foam rubber, wherebythe inner wall when struck will move against the .resilient blocks and thereby produce a shock-proof or yielding wall to prevent injuries to confined persons.

A further'objectof the invention is to provide inner and outer walls for the cell, and the space between said walls, in addition to supporting the rubber blocks, also is provided with a sound-proof lining whereby to decrease and absorb the objectional noises sometimes encountered in this type cell.

A further objective of the invention is to provide hook and eye members, certain of the hook members being attached to the front wall and engaging with a complementary member extending through the rear wall, whereby the inner wall is held in spaced relations with respect to the rear wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fioor to the cell comprising a plurality of welded steel sheets, said floor sloping slightly from the front portion towards the rear thereof, whereby when water or like is sprayed into the cell the same will travel towards the rear thereof into a utter.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gutter member along the rear edge of the cell, said gutter communicating through alongitudinal opening with the rear portion of the floor of the cell, the gutter being in communication with a drain outlet, said gutter at its adjacent upper portion being provided with hinged doors whereby access may be had to the gutter for cleaning and the like.

panying drawings in which: i V

Fig. 1 is a vertical view of a portion of the front wall of the cell, looking from the inside out with the inner wall removed, and also showing the respective front corners of the cell;

Fig. 2 is a vertical view of the rear wall, with the inner wall broken away, and further showing sectional views of the respective side wall;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of the back wall of the cell and the respective corners;

The invention is illustrated in the accom- Fig. 4 is an enlarged top plan viewin section of the rear wall and the rear corners;

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the lower portion'of the back of the cell showing the rear gutter and the hinged doors;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view looking down upon the rear wall of the cell;

Fig. '7 is a side view of the lower portion ofthe cell;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is'an enlarged sectional view inside elevation showing the hook fasteners between the front and rear walls; and

Fig. 10 is a top plan sectional view similar to Fig. 9.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which like numerals indicate similar parts throughout the various views.

Referring specifically to the drawings it will be understood that a portion of the front wall of the cell is generally indicated at 6, and it will, of course, be understood that the cell front, and in fact all walls of the cell may comprise a plurality of metallic sheets, which may be spot welded or bolted together as desired, depending upon the size of the cell desired. Within the front wall of the, cell is a door opening I, suitably arranged to receive a door to be constructed in a manner similar to the rest of the cell. As seen in Fig. 1, and looking at the cell from the inside out with the inner wall removed, it will be seen that the wall is provided with angle irons 8, said angles being welded to the inner surface of the front wall and being fastened to the wall as by welding, and as will be seen the angle irons are symmetrically spaced over the entire inner front portion of the cell for a purpose to later appear.

Between the respective angle irons are placed sound absorbin members 9, such as Celotex or the like, said sound absorbing members resting along their lower sides on the outwardly flanged portion of the angle iron, whereby the same are held in place and readily supported. The sound absorbing sheets 9 have cut therein a plurality of openings Iii, said openings adapted to receive blocks H of resilient material such as foam rubber, said blocks extending through the openings within the Celotex and having their rear portions glued to the inner or back surface of the front wall 6. These resilient blocks along their lower edges are also mounted on and engage flange 8 for supporting the-same in proper position. Of course it will be readily realized that the blocks can be placed in any desired fashion or configuration even though the drawings show that each angle iron supports three of the block members. The resilient block members are much thicker than the sound absorbing sheets and extend a considerable distance in front thereof, whereby when the inner lining, or inner wall [2 is moved into place said lining abuts against the outer surfaces of the respective resilient blocks, and the inner wall is so mounted that in the event it is struck from the outside it moves resiliently against the rubber blocks.

The front and the rear corners of the cell comprise an outer angle member l3 and a complementary inner angle member I4, the outside corner member 13 being bolted as by bolt and nut connections 15. The corner members, that is the inner wall surface of the outer corner members are provided with angle irons l6, said angle irons 16 being similar to angle irons 8 and for a similar purpose. Thus at the respective corner the angle irons support a sound absorbing sheet I! having an opening for receiving resilient blocks l8, said blocks receiving the inner corner wallsection in a resilient manner similar to that described with respect to the front wall ii. In as much as both corners are identical the sound absorbing material and the blocks are only shown mounted on the angle iron in Fig. 1.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the rear wall I9 is provided with vertically extending angle members 28 being bolted to the rear wall as by bolts and nuts 2|, said angle irons forming a recess and thereby providing side members holding the sound absorbing material and the resilient blocks in proper position. The corner sections l3 are also provided with vertically extending spaced angle irons 22 for a similar purpose, said angle irons being bolted, welded or the like to the inner surface of the outer wall of the corner. It should be noted that the inner wall and corner sections are provided adjacent their top edges with an inwardly extending flange 23, said flange being mounted above the vertical angles 20 and 22 thereby to prevent the angle 23 from abutting the angle 28 and thus allowing for the resilient movement of the inner wall.

' It can readily be seen by referring specifically to Fig. 2 and the sectional views of the respective sides, that the cell is provided with outer side members 24, showing the angle irons 8, the sound-proof strips [1, and the resilient block members 18. Also referring tothis figure it will be seen that the outer side wall 24 carries an opening at predetermined points, said openings being adapted to receive an eye member 25 and a hook member 26, said hook engaging an angle member 21, said angle having a recess adapted to receive the hook portion of the member 26. A bolt 28 is adapted to be engaged, on the threaded portion of the member 25 whereby upon tightening of the bolts the inner side wall 29 is drawn into engagement with the outer surfaces of the resilient blocks l8. Inasmuch a the two sides are exactly alike only one has been shown containing the various elements.

The cell member comprises a floor 36, said floor consisting of a plurality of sheet steel elements having downturned flanges which are welded to gether as indicated at 3|, thus producing a flush floor surface. The flanges of the various sections of the floor are graduated in height whereby, when the floor is in assembled relation the same is sloped from the front portion 32 thereof terminating at its rearward side at 33 adjacent the upturned flange member 34 of the inner rear wall l2. This arrangement produces a longitudinal opening 35, whereby, when the cell is washed as by a hose or the like the water and refuse pass through the opening 35 into the gutter indicated at 36. The gutter 35 extends across the entire rear lower portion of the back wall and at the center thereof the gutter cooperates with a drain 3! which may be connected to a sewer or the like for disposal. The gutter is bolted to the rear or outside wall I29 of the cell. as by a bolt and nut arrangement 38 and, of course, it will be understood that there may be a plurality of such fasteners. The gutter adjacent its upper portion has two swinging doors 39, said doors being hinged as at 40 to the rear wall of the cell, the doors giving access to the gutter for cleaning purposes.

The inner sheet metal wall or lining has attached to it as by welding the brackets 27, said brackets adapted to be engaged by a hook member 25 and an eye member 25, the eye member being threaded and adapted to receive a nut 28, whereby upon tightening of the nut 28 the inner wall or lining is drawn against the resilient block.

It will also be noted that on the undersurface of the floor 30 is attached a sheet ii of sound absorbing material, and of course, it is within the scope of the invention, that. if desirable, rubber blocks could be inserted within the floor construction.

It will bev understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction shown but it is capable of variation within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A Wall construction for a cell, the improvement comprising outer rigid front, rear and side walls, said walls having mounted on the inner surfaces thereof a plurality of vertically spaced angle members having inwardly positioned supporting shelves, sheets of sound absorbing material having one face flush with the inner surfaces of the outer walls and lying between the angle members, said sound absorbing sheets-having openings cut therein, rubber blocks of a thickness exceeding that of the sound absorbing sheet fitted within the recesses and supported by the shelves of the angle members, the rear surfaces of the rubber blocks in contact with the inner surfaces of the rigid walls, and movably mounted panels horizontally spaced from the rigid walls to provide a resiliently mounted inner wall for the cell, the inner surfaces of the inner wall lying in contact with the outer surfaces of the rubber blocks.

2. The combination recited in claim 1, and spaced vertically extending angle members secured to the inner surface of the rigid wall men bers and lyin between the rigid walls and the inner walls and defining recesses with the horizontally disposed angle members, said recesses having mounted therein the sound absorbing sheet and the rubber blocks.

3. A wall construction for a cell, the improvement which consists of outer and inner spaced walls, said outer wall having secured thereto and lying in the space defined by the spaced walls a plurality of horizontally and vertically disposed angle members, the legs of the horizontal angle members forming rubber block supporting means, sound absorbing sheets having spaced recesses therein fixed to the inner surfaces of the outer wall in the spaces formed by the horizontal and vertical angle members, rubber blocks disposed in the recesses formed in the sound absorbing sheets and having their lower edges resting on thelegs of the horizontal angle members, and thereby lying in the space between the outer and inner walls and having their faces in engagement with said walls, and flexible means between the spaced walls normally urging the inner wall into contact with the inner face portions of the rubber blocks.

4. The combination recited in claim 3, the means for urging the inner wall against the rub ber blocks, consisting of an eye member having a threaded shank extending outwardly of the outer wall, a flange fixed to the inner wall and having an opening therein, and 'a hook engagingthe opening in the flange and the eye of the eye member and a nut for varying the tension of the inner wall against the rubber blocks.

5. A wall construction for use in a confinement cell comprising an outer fixed wall, and a resiliently mounted inner wall spaced inwardly from said outer wall, a plurality of vertically spaced angle irons secured to the inner surface of the outer wall and lying within the space between the outer and inner walls, one leg of the angle irons projecting inwardly and forming supporting shelves, spaced resilient blocks mounted on the supporting shelves and having their rear surfaces in contact with the inner surfaces of the outer wall and their front surfaces in contact with the inner surfaces of the inner wall, the cell at each of its corners having a rear angle iron bridging the corner and secured to the outer wall, and an inner complementary angle iron spaced inwardly of the rear angle iron and merging at its respective sides with the inner wall to eliminate sharp corners, said rear angle iron having ver- 6 tically spaced block supporting members fastened thereto, rubber blocks mounted on said supports and having their front and rear walls in contact with the respective faces of the inner and outer walls.

JESSE E. CREECH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 143,784 Kested Oct. 21, 1873 498,344 Williams May 30, 1893 638,030 Schmitt Nov. 28, 1899 956,787 Youngblood May 3, 1910 1,100,804 White June 23, 1914 1,752,123 Thompson Mar. 25, 1930 1,855,756 Garber et a1 Apr. 26, 1932 1,890,980 Ferris Dec. 13, 1932 1,972,005 Berbeck Aug. 28, 1934 1,994,193 Ferris Mar. 12, 1935 2,040,534 Roth May 12, 1936 2,052,984 Madison Sept. 1, 1936 2,054,531 Zand Sept. 15, 1936 2,089,383 Koerner Aug. 10, 1937 2,095,626 Bassett et a1 Oct. 12, 1937 2,118,068 Buckley May 24, 1938 2,322,068 Starie 1- June 15, 1943 2,323,455 Creech July 6', 1943 2,382,817 Reiss Aug. 14, 1945 2,447,272 Parkes Aug. 17, 1948 2,475,688 Balzano July 12, 1949 

